Iran Tries Five People Over December Unrest

January 18, 2010 08:53 GMT

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Iran Tries Five People Over December Unrest

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TEHRAN (Reuters) -- Five people detained in connection with violent antigovernment protests in Iran last month went on trial today on charges that could carry the death sentence, an Iranian news agency reported.

The ISNA news agency did not identify the five accused, but the official IRNA news agency earlier said they were members of the armed People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), an exile group opposed to the Islamic system of government.

The five detainees were accused of "moharebeh" -- an Islamic term meaning waging war against God -- which carries the death sentence, ISNA said.

It was the first trial reported by Iranian media of people detained in connection with the December 27 protests, in which eight people were killed.